Between work, family functions, household chores, and sleep, it can be hard to find time for outdoor activities like hiking, biking, or camping. Planning a weekend camping trip is even tougher. To ensure that I do get some extended time to enjoy the outdoors, I have convinced some friends to put a few camping trips on the calendar each year—before any other obligation nabs that slot on the calendar. So, according to plan, we set off for a three-day trip in late April to the Roaring Plains in the Monongahela National Forest.

The story of Monongahela National Forest begins with the almost complete removal of forest from much of the eastern United States in the late 19th century. Following passage of the 1911 Weeks Act, land in this part of West Virginia was bought by the federal government and eventually became the Monongahela National Forest in 1920. Today the forest is managed for watershed protection, natural resources, and recreation.

The forest includes over 900,000 acres in 10 counties, making it one of the largest national forests in the northeastern region. The Monongahela, or Mon, includes 23 campgrounds, 17 picnic areas, over 500 miles of hiking trails, 129 miles of warm-water fishing, and 576 miles of trout streams. The extensive backwoods road system provides access for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, climbing, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, and sightseeing.

For the last couple of years we have camped in the area of the Mon known as the Roaring Plains, located south of the more popular and better-known Dolly Sods Wilderness. Roaring Plains gets its name from the vast open areas created by the extensive logging and the loud roaring wind that is common on high plains. Like Dolly Sods, Roaring Plains is full of heath, boggy areas, and flagged spruce (wind-stunted trees with branches on only one side). The Plains and the surrounding area are part of the Allegheny Front; they straddle the Eastern Continental Divide—a long mountain that is the dividing line for draining water to the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. The Plains are the highest point along the Allegheny Front.

Winter snowfall averages approximately 15 feet a year on the high plateaus. The Allegheny Front creates a significant rain shadow on the east side, with the plateaus receiving roughly twice the annual precipitation as the valley floors to the east. Temperature difference can be as much as 20 degrees. Weather is unpredictable, too; it is possible to have snow or ice in May. The strong winds also add to the feeling of cold on the Plains. We didn’t get any snow, but temperatures did dip to near freezing at night.

Roaring Plains offers spectacular vistas from an abundance of exposed rocks and cliffs. There are views of Haystack Knob, Mt. Porte Crayon (the highest point in Roaring Plains at 4,770 feet) and Seneca Rocks. On this trip, the weather was mostly cloudy with some intermittent light rain, which obscured the views.

The Plains environment is unique. The high elevation, climate, and plant life resemble that of northeastern Canada. There are bogs, heath barrens, grassy sods, wind-stunted trees, and impenetrable thickets of rhododendron and mountain laurel. These provide a spectacular flower display in June and July. Animal species include black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcat, snowshoe hare and fisher. The Roaring Plains is not an official wilderness area, but it sure looks and feels like one. In fact, citizens have proposed that Congress designate a Roaring Plains Wilderness for permanent protection under the 1964 Wilderness Act. For information: www.wvwild.org.

This April morning when I awoke the Plains were shrouded in fog and cool, wet weather. The wind ripped through the trees in bursts. By the time we got back to Shepherdstown, three hours later, the temperature was a hot 75 degrees.

The Roaring Plains is a place to visit and experience the true power and rawness of nature. The attraction might not be understandable for everyone, but I am not sure if I can wait until October to visit again. Let me check the calendar for an opening.

The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (www.wvhighlands.org) is an active advocate for preservation and conservation of West Virginia’s natural, scenic, and historical areas like the Monongahela National Forest and Roaring Plains. Their website provides excellent information on hiking and backpacking in the Roaring Plains. The USDA Forest Service (www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf) is also a good source for recreational opportunities in the Mon.